JERUSALEM — A Palestinian gunman severely wounded two individuals when he opened hearth at an Israeli automotive within the occupied West Financial institution on Sunday, casting a shadow on a high-level assembly between Palestinian and Israeli delegations meant to scale back surging violence forward of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Israeli media reported that the 2 Israeli victims had died, whereas Israeli politicians issued condemnations and condolences, however the experiences couldn’t be confirmed instantly.

The area has seen skyrocketing tensions between Palestinians and the Israeli army over the previous yr. The army stated it was trying to find the attacker, who opened hearth on a automotive on the West Financial institution’s primary freeway and fled.

West Financial institution settler leaders referred to as on Israel to withdraw its delegation from the talks and crack down on the Palestinians, whereas Hamas, the Islamic militant group that guidelines the Gaza Strip, stated no summit would cease Palestinians from resisting.

Israel stated the prime minister’s nationwide safety adviser in addition to the chief of the Shin Guess home safety company have been to attend the talks in neighboring Jordan. The pinnacle of the Palestinian intelligence companies in addition to advisers to President Mahmoud Abbas have been anticipated to hitch.

The presence of prime officers on the assembly, in addition to delegations from Egypt, Jordan and the US, underscored the severity of the disaster. It was additionally a uncommon high-level assembly between the edges, coming throughout a time of rising tensions and after the Palestinians lower safety coordination with Israel over the violence.

Abbas’ workplace stated the Palestinians would “stress the necessity to cease all Israeli unilateral actions.” An Israeli official stated the assembly was meant to ease tensions forward of Ramadan and got here after an American request.

The assembly’s Palestinian attendees have been confirmed by a Palestinian official. A Jordanian official additionally stated the assembly was meant to cease “Israeli unilateral actions,” construct confidence and result in extra complete contacts between the edges. He stated the assembly will happen within the Purple Sea resort city of Aqaba, Jordan.

All three officers spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to debate the assembly with the media.

Palestinians who oppose any official engagement with Israel stated they’d protest the assembly, whereas Hamas criticized the assembly. It referred to as Sunday’s capturing “a pure response” to Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas of the West Financial institution and ensuing deaths.

“The resistance within the West Financial institution will stay current and rising, and no plan or summit will have the ability to cease it,” stated spokesman Hazem Qassem.

It’s not clear what the talks may obtain. Israel has pledged to proceed combating militants within the West Financial institution the place the Palestinian Authority usually has little management. Israel is also led by a far-right authorities with members that oppose concessions to the Palestinians and favor settlement development on occupied lands sought by the Palestinians for a future state. Final week, Israeli officers accredited the constructing of over 7,000 new settlement houses within the occupied West Financial institution, in accordance with activist teams that attended the planning assembly.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has surged since Israel stepped up raids throughout the West Financial institution following a spate of Palestinian assaults final spring. The bloodshed has spiked this yr, with greater than 60 Palestinians killed within the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, in accordance with a tally by The Related Press. Palestinian assaults towards Israelis have killed 13 individuals in 2023.

Israel says the raids are supposed to dismantle militant networks and thwart future assaults. The Palestinians say Israel is additional entrenching its 55-year open-ended occupation of lands they need for a future state, in addition to undermine their very own safety forces.

Ramadan this yr coincides with the weeklong Jewish vacation of Passover and worshippers from each faiths are anticipated to flock to the holy websites in Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis, which are sometimes a flashpoint for violence between the edges. Clashes erupted at a key Jerusalem holy web site final yr and tensions on the web site helped spark an 11-day warfare with Hamas militants within the Gaza Strip in 2021.